Paint applicator



y 6, 1958 A. E. DOGGETT $833,073

PAINT APPLICATOR Filed July 20, 1954 INVENTOR ANNEMARIE DOGGETT United States PAINT APPLICATOR Annemarie E. Doggett, Richmond, Va.

Application July 20, 1954, Serial No. 444,480

4 Claims. (Cl. 41-55) The present invention relates to roller devices for applying paint to a wall, and in particular to a roller device for painting a wall and applying a design in the same operation. In the prior art, there are numerous devices for applying designs to painted walls by means of rollers which are embossed with the desired design. However, in the state of the art at present, it is necessary to paint the wall in a first operation, and thereafter, and after from one to three hours delay, to paint the design on the wall with a roller which carries the desired design. It is, therefore, necessary to paint the wall twice in order to obtain the desired result.

It is a broad object of the present invention to provide a roller device which makes it possible to paint a wall and apply the design to the wall in one operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a roller device for painting walls, which has two rolls mounted vertically with respect to one another, one of the rolls applying a uniform coat of paint to the walls, and the other roll applying paint in a patterned figuration in accordance with the design embossed on the sec ond roll.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll device for painting walls in which two rolls are mounted vertically with respect to one another, one of these rolls having a uniform circumference for applying a continuous coating of paint to the wall, and the other roll having a design embossed thereon for applying a design to the wall, each roller being supplied with paint from a separate paint container.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a roll device for painting walls, which includes a plurality of vertically disposed rolls, each roll being fed paint from associated tanks by the means of feed rolls.

The above and still further features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a cross sectional view of the device of the present invention; and V Figure 2 is a side view of the roller device of the present invention.

Referring to Figure l of the accompanying drawings, there is provided a container generally designated at 1. The container 1 has a vertical back wall 2, a horizontal top wall 3 perpendicular to the back wall 2 and extending forward thereof, and a horizontal bottom wall 4 perpendicular to the back wall 2 and extending forward thereof. An inclined front wall 6, which intersects the bottom wall 4 at an angle of about 60 extends from the forward edge of the bottom wall 4. The height of the vertical projection of the front wall 6 is slightly less than half the vertical height of the back wall 2. The width of all the walls 2, 3, 4, and 6 is the same, and in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, these walls are formed from a single length of metal which is p 2,833,073 Patented May 6, 1958 bent at appropriate locations to provide the various Walls of the container 1. However, the various wall elements may be formed separately and secured to one another as by welding, riveting, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

A horizontal partition 7 is positioned between and is parallel to the top and bottom walls 3 and 4 respectively and is located above the front wall 6 so as to provide an opening 8 between the top of the front wall 6 and the partition 7. The partition 7 is of the same length, and width as the bottom wall 4. The partition 7 is pro vided with a flange 9 which depends downwardly from,

the back end of the partition 7. The flange 9 extends along the entire width of the partition 7 and is'secured to the inside of the back wall 3 to provide for support of to be parallel to the front wall 6. This upward exten-v sion provides a second front wall 11 which extends almost to the top wall 3. The top wall 3 is somewhat shorter than the bottom wall 4 and the partition 7 thereby providing an opening 12 between the top wall 3 and the front wall 6. The opening between the partition 7 and the front wall 6 and the opening between the top wall 3 and the front wall 11 are co-extensive with the width of the walls.

The container 1 is also provided with parallel side walls 13, one of which is shown in Figure 2. The side walls completely enclose the sides of the container 1 and are secured to opposite edges of the walls 2, 3, 4, 6, and 11. The partition 7 has additional flanges 9 which extend along the sides of the partition 7, these additional flanges being secured to the inner surfaces of the side walls 13. The partition 7 divides the container 1 into two vertically disposed and entirely separate tanks for paint. An upper tank 14 is bounded by the top wall 3, the upper portion of the back wall 2, the partition 7, the front wall .11, the upper portions of the side walls 13. A lower tank 16 is bounded by the partition 7, the

lower portion of the back wall 2, the bottom wall 4, the

front wall 6, and the lower portions of the side walls 13. As previously pointed out, the tanks 14 and 16 are provided with separate openings 8 and 12 respectively. The container 1 is provided with a pitcher type handle 15 positioned in a vertical plane and secured to so that it is just above the partition 7 and just behind the front wall 11. A second feed roll 19 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 21 which is perpendicular to and has its ends secured to the sidewalls 13. The feed roll 19 is positioned above the feed roll 17 and has a portion of its circumference contacting a portion of the circumference of the feed roll 17 along its entire length. The feed roll 19 extends through the opening 12 and has a portion of its circumference positioned external to the tank 14. An applicator roll 22, having approximately the same length as the feed rolls 17 and 19, is associated with the tank 14, and is positioned external to the tank 14. The applicator roll 22 has a portion of its circumference contactinga portion of the circumference of the feed roll 19 which is external to the tank 14. The applicator roll 22 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 23 which is parallel to the shafts 18 and 21. The shaft 23 is secured at each ofitsendsto elongated rectangular guide bars 24, one of which. is shown in Figure 2. Each guide bar 24 is mounted in a separate guide 26 for slidable motion parallel to the side walls 13. Each guide 26 is secured to one of the side walls 13, the guides 26 being positioned so that the direction of motion of the guide bars is along-a line approximately parallel to a plane which is common to both of the shafts 21 and 23. A portion of each guide bar extends forward of the container 1 and the shaft 23 is secured near the forward extremity of this portion of the guide bars 24. The ends of the guide bars 24 opposite to the'forward portions thereof are forked thereby providing; two parallel fingers 27 and .28 with an aperture therebetween. The forkedends of the guide bars lie to the rear of the gnides'26 and are adjacentthe sidewalls 13. A separate screw 29 is secured to each side wall 13 and extends perpendicularto the side walls. .Each screw 29 is positioned inthe aperture between a different set of fingers 27 and'28 o'f tlie-guide bars 24. A circular nut 31 threadedly engagesthe screw 29 and when the nuts 31 are loose theguide bars 24 may be moved'back and forth with respect to the screws29. This movement of. the guide bars 24 moves the applicator roll 22 with respect to the feed roll 19. Therefore, by means .ofthis arrangement, the pressure between the applicator roll 22 and the feed roll 19 may be adjusted to a desired value. When a desired pressure is obtained, the nuts '31 are tightened and seat against the fingers 27 and 28 thereby retaining the guide bars 24 in the desired position.

The painttank 16,is similarly provided with two feed rolls and an applicator roll. 'The tank 16 has a first feed roll 32, the length of which issubstantially equal to the distance'betweenthe side walls 13. The feed roll 32 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 33, which is secured at its ends to the side walls 13and is perpendicular thereto. The shaft 33 is located so thatthe feed roll'32 is just above the bottom wall 4 and just behind the front wall 6. A second feed roll 34 is rotatably mounted on a sha'ft36 Which is secured at its ends to the sidewalls 13 and is perpendicular thereto. The shaft 36 is located sothat the feed roll 34 is positioned above the feed roll 32 with a portion of its circumference contacting a portion of the circumference of the feed roll 32 along the entire length thereof. The feed roll 34 extends through the opening 8 and has a portion of its circumference external to the tank 16. An applicator roll 37, having approximately the same length as the feed rolls 32 and 34, is associated with the tank 16 and is positioned external thereto. The applicator roll 37 normally has a portion of its circumference contacting a portion of the circumference of the feed roll 36 which is external to the tank 16. 'The applicator roll 37 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 38-which is secured at its ends to the. guide bars "39. Associated with the guide bars 39 are the guides 41,screws 42, and circular nuts 43. The arrangementof these elements is the same as the arrangementof thecorresponding elements associated with the applicator roll'22.

The applicator roll 22 carries the design which is to be applied to the walls. Preferably the applicator roll 22 is made oflight metal, the design portionsof the roll generally designated by the reference humeral 44, being made of hard rubber secured to the circumference of the light metal roll. The applicator roll .37 has a uniform circumference and, therefore, applies .a uniform coat of paint to the surface to be painted. This ,roll may take the form of any of a number of applicator rolls now commercially available.

In operation the tank 16 is filled with a paint of a color in which itis desired to paint the wall, while the tank 9 is filled with paint of a color in which it is desired to paint the design. The device is positioned against the wall to be painted so that the wall is contacted by both of the rolls 22 and 37. The entire assembly is then moved down the wall, in such a manner that the rolls 22 and 37 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The roll 22 rotates the counter-clockwise. This latter roll picks up paint from 4 the tank 14 and applies it to the roll 19 which in turn applies it to the roll 22. The action of rolls 32, 34, and 37 is the same as that for rolls 17, 19, and 23. The roll 37 applies the uniform base coat to the wall and the roll 22 immediately thereafter applies the design coat, Therefore, with this arrangement it is possible to apply the base and design coats of paint to a wall in a single operation, eliminating the necessity for painting the wall in two successive operations, and thereby effecting a saving of 50 percent, in labor.

it will be noted that the rolls 22 and 37 are independently removable from the apparatus in consequence of the forked arrangement of the bar 24 which cooperates with the screw and nut 29 and 31. This feature of the invention is important since it allows the base coat applied by the roll 37 to be carried to the ceiling and allows the design applied by roll 22 to be carried to the baseboard. It is readily apparent from Figures 1 and 2 that the design roll 22 will normally contact the ceiling while the base coat roll 37 is disposed below the ceiling by the spacing between the centers of the rolls 22 and 37. Similarly, when the roll 37 is disposed adjacent the baseboard of the wall, the roll 22 is removed therefrom by the distance between the centers of rolls 22 and 37 In consequence of the rolls 22 and 37 being independently removable, the roll 22 may be removed and the roll 37 brought to thetop of the wall by simply tilting the apparatus. It should be noted that the large volume provided in the tanks .14 and 16 can accommodate the paint without spilling even during tilting of the apparatus.

In order to carry the design to the baseboard, the roll 37 is removed and the apparatus tilted forward until the roll 22 is adjacent the baseboard. In this instance the depth of the tanks 14 and 16 as determined by'thefront walls 6 and 11 prevents spilling of the paint. Thus itzis seen that the construction of the tanks 14 and 16 in conjunction with the independently removable rolls 14 and 16 allows the base coat and design to be carried to the ceiling and baseboard respectively.

While I have described and illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be clear that variations thereof may be resorted to without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A roller device for painting and applying a design to a surface in a single operation comprising a first and a second tank for paint, means for maintaining said tanks in a vertically disposed position with respect to one ;another, each of said tanks having a front panel, .a top and parallel side walls, the top and front panel of each'of said tanks being arranged to provide an opening between said top and said front panel which is coextensive with the distance between the side walls of each of said tanks, a first feed roll means, means for rotatably mounting said first feed roll means in said first tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said first tank, a second-feedroll means, means for rotatably mounting said second .feed roll means in said second tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said' second tank, each of said feed roll means being in contact with the paint in its associated tank, separate applicator rolls associated with each of said tanks, separate means for rotatably and removably mounting each of said applicator rolls external. to its associated tank and parallel to said feed roll means, each of said separate means maintaining a portion of the circum ferenceof its associated applicator rolls in contact with a portion of. the feed roll means of its associated tank, one of said applicator rolls having a design embossed on the circumference thereof.

2. A roller device for painting and applying adesign to a surface in a single operation comprising a container having a back wall, parallel side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall parallel .to one another, and aninclined front panel, the vertical projection of which isa-shorter than the height of said back wall, a partition located between said top and bottom and parallel thereto, said partition located above said inclined front panel to provide an opening therebetween which is coextensive with the distance between said side walls, an inclined front panel extending upward from said partition and terminating below the top of said container to provide a second opening, said container and said partition defining first and second vertically disposed tanks for paint, a first feed roll means, means for rotatably mounting said first feed roll means in said first tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said first tank, a second feed roll means, means for rotatably mounting said second feed roll means in said second tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said second tank, each of said feed roll means being in contact with the paint in its associated tank, separate applicator rolls associated with each of said tanks, separate means for rotatably and removably mountingv each of said applicator rolls external to its associated tank and parallel to said feed roll means, each of said separate means maintaining a portion of the circumference of its associated applicator roll in contact with a portion of the feed roll means external of its associated tank, one of said applicator rolls having a design embossed on the circumference thereof.

3. A roller device for painting and applying a design to a surface in a single operation comprising a container having a back wall, parallel side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall parallel to one another, a partition located between said-top wall and bottom wall and parallel thereto,

a front wall panel extending upwardly from said partition by a distance greater than half the distance between said top wall and said partition, to provide a first opening adjacent said top wall, a second front wall panel extending upwardly from said bottom wall by a distance greater than half the distance between said bottom wall and said partition to provide a second opening, said container and said first partition defining first and second vertically disposed tanks for paint, a first feed roll means, means for rotatably mounting said first feed roll means in said first tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said first tank, a second feed roll means, means for rotatably mounting said second feed roll means in said second tank about an axis perpendicular to said side walls of said second tank, each of said feed roll means being in contact with the paint in its associated tank, a separate applicator roll associated with each of said tanks, separate means for rotatably and removably mounting each of said applicator rolls external to its associated tank and parallel to said tfeed roll means, each of said separate means maintaining a portion of the circumference of its associated applicator roll in contact with the feed roll means of its associated tank, and one of said applicator rolls having a design embossed on the circumference thereof.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 3 whereinsaid first and second front wall panels comprise extensions of said partition and said bottom wall respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,152 Watson et al. Mar. 28, 1933 2,118,719 Wrall May 24, 1938 2,485,423 Bleier Oct. 18, 1949 2,630,592 Sultanik et a1 Mar. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 416,210 Italy Nov. 20, 1946 457,080 Italy May 4, 1950 166,034 Austria May 25, 1950 977,269 France Nov. 8, 1950 810,123 Germany Aug. 6, 1951 171,690 Austria June 25, 1952 

